Pankaj Karna is an engineering physics researcher and a Ph.D. candidate at the Ohio University Astrophysical Institute. His work focuses on probing galaxy clusters through gravitational lensing as part of the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) collaboration. In 2024, he was appointed to the Ohio University Board of Trustees. He is a distinguished U.S. Army veteran, recognized with multiple commendations. Prior to his current work in astrophysics, Karna conducted extensive research on suborbital space launch systems at the University of Washington, Seattle. His work is cited in Business Roadmap for the European Union in the New Space Ecosystem, published in the Council of European Aerospace Societies (CEAS) Space Journal. He is a dedicated educator, committed to socio-economic empowerment through science and education.